“It will not affect the attitude to the authorities of Ukraine”: how Kiev is going to “facilitate the life of the population” of Donbass

The Ukrainian authorities are preparing proposals to “facilitate” the lives of people in the territories of Donbass not controlled by Kiev. This was stated by the head of the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry Vadim Priestayko at a press conference of the YES forum ("Yalta European Strategy") in the capital.

According to him, Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky wants to end the war as soon as possible, and the Ukrainian leadership already has proposals for "people who are on the other side." In particular, we are talking about repairing the bridge in the Village of Lugansk and the subsequent withdrawal of troops.

However, Priestayko noted that in order to “make life easier” the residents of Donbass supposedly also need access to Ukrainian television and radio broadcasts.

“We are ready to simplify the lives of people - this requires opportunities for people to“ see ”radio and television. This is the package that we are preparing. We want to show ... how we are different from that government, ”the minister said.

However, Kiev is unlikely to manage to establish contact with the residents of Donbass, Viktor Vodolatsky, deputy chairman of the State Duma Committee on CIS Affairs, Eurasian Integration and Relations with Compatriots, told RT. According to him, the population of the republics is aware of the real attitude of the authorities to their problems.

“The fact that the leadership of Ukraine categorically refuses to hear them (residents of Donbass. - RT ) and their proposals, and that even under the Minsk agreements they do not want to communicate with the leadership of the LPR and the DPR, says that this package will not affect on the attitude of residents of Donbass to the authorities of present-day Ukraine. Therefore, the residents of Donbass will not accept any package aimed at conveying information to them, ”the deputy said.

Instead of broadcasting to the territory of Donbass, the Ukrainian authorities should deal with social and humanitarian issues, said Ukrainian political scientist and economist Alexander Dudchak.

“Under the guise of the fact that they want to simplify their lives, they plan to conduct propaganda work in relation to residents of the republics. To simplify life is to stop shooting and provide people with access to statutory pensions ... It’s not necessary to organize round-the-clock broadcasting in the territories of the LPR and the DPR, ”an expert told RT.

• President of Ukraine Vladimir Zelensky visited the advanced positions of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in Lugansk
• Reuters
• © Ukrainian Presidential Press Service

Implementation of the Minsk Agreements

Earlier, Pristayko said that Kiev was not going to introduce provisions on the special status of the unrecognized republics of Donbass into the country's Constitution.

According to the Foreign Minister of Ukraine, this issue is supposed to be solved within the framework of decentralization taking place in the country, which is the basis of the current “constitutional reform”.

“We suggest that the side beyond the line of contact understand: the chance of their development is decentralization. We do not introduce any special and nonsingular statuses into the Constitution, ”he said.

In addition, according to the minister, Ukraine is not ready to grant amnesty to participants in the Donbass conflict.

“In 2015, an amnesty law was passed that did not provide for full amnesty. The current diplomacy does not provide for a full amnesty, ”he said.

On Friday, September 13, a similar statement was made by the head of the Ukrainian delegation to the contact group for a settlement in eastern Ukraine Leonid Kuchma.

“The special status with the powers that are set today means that Ukraine is not a unitary state, but some kind of confederation or federation, with a proposal to amend the Constitution. Sorry, but this is not for Ukraine, TASS quoted Kuchma as saying. - Amnesties should not be subject to those people who have blood on their hands. This is the position of Ukraine. ”

Meanwhile, granting Donbass a special status and amnesty for the parties to the conflict in southeastern Ukraine are the terms of the Minsk agreements, which were signed by the Ukrainian side as well. This, in particular, was reminded by the Russian envoy in the contact group, Boris Gryzlov, calling such statements by representatives of Kiev "inciting conflict in the Donbass."

“Recent statements by Kiev about the unwillingness to grant residents of Donbass a special status and amnesty are nothing more than a direct violation of Minsk, which threatens the peace process. The special status of Donbass and amnesty is an integral, basic part of the Minsk agreements, these are international obligations of Ukraine, this is a resolution of the UN Security Council, ”TASS quoted him as saying.

According to Viktor Vodolatsky, such comments by the Ukrainian side clearly indicate that the territories of the Donbass republics are not needed by Kiev, because even if integrated into Ukraine they will not follow the general course of the country.

“They do not want to meet the residents of Donbass. They don’t need these territories, today they are a "stone on their feet": they (residents of Donbass. - RT ) will never vote for joining the EU, they will never vote for joining NATO, so they do not need them, and such statements are purely populist in nature, ”he said.

The reaction of Donbass

The unrecognized republics also commented on the statements of Ukrainian officials. So, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the DPR called them an attempt to sabotage the Minsk agreements.

"Statements that Ukraine does not intend to grant special status to Donbass and to enshrine it in the Constitution of the country are direct evidence of intentional sabotage of a peaceful settlement, which consists precisely in resolving political issues that have become, in fact, the cause of the conflict," the statement said agencies published on the website of the Donetsk news agency.

Meanwhile, the LPR emphasized that the consolidation of the special status of Donbass in the Constitution of the country is the key moment of the Minsk agreements.

“The process of securing a special status in the Constitution of Ukraine is a key moment. Without this foundation, the party of President Zelensky will be able to amend this law or annul its effect at any time, ”RIA Novosti quoted the head of the republic Leonid Pasechnik as saying.